BCE has recently been in the spotlight due to a shareholder proposal from Mouvement d’éducation et de défense des actionnaires, which has sparked discussions around company practices. This was intensified as the company recommended shareholders vote against the proposal during the upcoming annual meeting. Despite these events, the company's stock registered a 1% increase over the last week, performing positively amid a volatile market backdrop and a broad market decline of 3%. The broader market was characterized by investor uncertainty around upcoming U.S. tariffs, impacting investor sentiment across sectors.

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Over the last year, BCE's total shareholder return, which includes dividends and share price, was a decline of 19.43%. This performance significantly lagged behind the Canadian market return of 11% and the Canadian Telecom industry, which saw a decline of 12.7% over the same period. Several factors contributed to this underperformance. In January 2025, BCE reported a sharp decrease in both revenue and net income for the fiscal year 2024, with net income dropping to CAD 344 million from CAD 2.26 billion the previous year.

Further impacting their financial health, a large one-off loss of CAD 2.6 billion affected BCE's last 12 months' financial results up to December 31, 2024. The company also revised its 2024 revenue guidance downward to reflect a 1.5% decline. Compounding these challenges, BCE was dropped from the S&P/TSX Preferred Share Index in January 2025, potentially affecting investor confidence and impacting its overall return. As of today, BCE continues to navigate through competitive pressures and regulatory challenges.

Dive into the specifics of BCE here with our thorough balance sheet health report.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include TSX:BCE.

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